Father's Day - DiNozzo
by CALLEN37
Summary: The first of two one shots for today. DiNozzo has the perfect present and the perfect Card... now all he needs is the right father to share it with.


Father's Day – DiNozzo.

For weeks before the day Tony had scoured various books shops and card shops in the city he had even gone all the way out to Baltimore looking for the perfect gift. It had consumed all his waking hours.

It had to be perfect, his father deserved nothing less.

Finally he found it!

Sitting in a small bookshop was a pile of books and a handmade card section with a blank insert, the picture was perfect and he knew he could find the words if he worked hard enough at them.

The Friday before father's day they had caught a big case and Tony had thought all his hard work and planning would be ruined, and he was if nothing else when it came to himself, a perfectionist.

Luckily late Saturday they had caught the killer who had folded pretty quickly and the team had been sent home.

Getting some sleep was hard, Tony ran over and over the plans in his head, this had to work out just right.

Finally he dozed off and got a few hours sleep.

Sunday morning came; he woke up jumped in the shower and sent a quick text.

His phone rang and he answered it. "DiNozzo." He stated and listened as the voice on the other end reminded him how important this was and how he shouldn't be late.

"I'll be there." He said flatly. As he finished the call he looked to see if he'd had a reply to his earlier message, nope nothing.

He grabbed his clothes and got dressed checking again his appearance and grabbed the card and gift off of the table.

As he was on his way out of the door his house phone rang, looking at the caller ID he sighed and answered it, "DiNozzo." He said.

He took a deep breath and listened, "yeah….Yes I know the family, I hope you'll be very happy together." He said sadly. "I will try to be there." He said honestly knowing he would do all in his power not to be.

Waiting for the man on the other end to say something…anything he sighed "Ok so how much do you need?" he asked.

Again he sighed at the response, "I'll wire it first thing Monday," he said and put down the phone.

More depressed than he was first thing this morning he grabbed his keys and left.

Fifteen minutes later he pulled up outside the house.

Abby and Ziva were already there waiting on the porch for him to arrive.

"Come on!" Abby said excitedly as they opened the door, the smell of dinner already seeping out through the cracks in the door, "He's making pot roast!"

Ziva had a bag full of rolls and some pastries and Abby had a casserole in her hands.

"GIBBS!" Abby called.

"In here Abbs." He called from the kitchen.

Abby put the casserole dish down and ran to his arms, "HAPPY FATHERS DAY GIBBS!" she sang out hugging him. Gibbs smiled and turned back to the others, "Ziva, DiNozzo." He acknowledged as they came in.

"I have not done this in a while Gibbs, but Abby said to bring something so I made these…is that alright?" she asked showing Gibbs the basket.

"It's perfect." Gibbs smiled "Food'll be ready soon, grab yourselves a drink," he offered gesturing towards the kitchen.

Tony put the card and gift on the table and as he did every year grabbed a beer and headed upstairs. Ziva looked after him questioningly.

Abby smiled, "Tony has his own room, don't worry Ziva, he just needs some time."

"Does he not want to be here?" Ziva asked.

Gibbs sat her down, "Tony's father is still alive, every year he sends him a text, he can't send a card as he has no idea where he is, he feels bad about this day, he wants to spend it with us but he is scared of dishonoring his father." He explained. Although his gut told him this year something was off.

He opened the gift, 'The experts guide to exceptional woodworking.' He looked over the gift, he had been trying to find this book for years and remembered mentioning it to Tony nearly a year ago and how frustrated he was that there were no copies to be had.

Then he opened the card.

'Gibbs, I know you're not my father and this is a good thing. You are however the man who taught me what kind of father I would like to be if I am ever blessed with kids, and you taught me the kind of man that I would like to be, you have taught me to play ball, you have sat by my side when I was sick and you've been there when I've been emotionally hurt. In all these way you are my dad….Thank you. Love Tony.'

"Girls can you set the table, I'll be back." Gibbs asked.

Ziva and Abby nodded.

Gibbs walked upstairs and knocked on Tony's door. He stepped in with a wry smile, as expected he wasn't there, he was as he had started to do when recovering from the plague, out on the porch roof sitting with his knees up to his chest looking over the rooftops towards the city center.

"I loved the present Tony." Gibbs said softly sitting beside him.

Tony's face lit up. He smiled a genuine smile one Gibbs rarely got to see at work all too soon it was extinguished.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked waiting for the younger man to talk.

"He called." Tony said the ghost of a tear appearing in his eye as he turned his gaze from Gibbs.

Gibbs waited knowing Tony was about to talk.

"He's getting married again, he actually apologized, he couldn't come to see me he's spending the day with his fiancée and her kids, they are going out for a family meal for father's day." He said sadly.

"You could have gone; you didn't have to come here." Gibbs said softly.

"I wasn't invited… he wanted access to my trust fund, he needs money for the wedding, and I told him I'd send him a check." He said flatly.

"So what else happened, I can see you're upset son," Gibbs said gently.

Tony let the tears flow freely, "The boy in the background…he called him Dad…and senior…he said I'll be right there son and then just said goodbye junior and hung up….he's…he's never called me son." Tony's voice hitched as a small sob escaped.

"I am proud to think of you as my son, Senior doesn't know what he's missing out on." Gibbs said and turned to put an arm around Tony's shoulder.

"Thanks…..Dad?" Tony said timidly. Gibbs' grin grew wider.

"Now come on let's see if Abby and Ziva have finished dinner off…Besides…Son, Your Grandpa will be here soon." Gibbs smiled.

Tony climbed in the window and practically bounced downstairs as Gibbs picked up his cell phone to make a call.

Tony was bouncing around the kitchen laughing with Ziva and Abby and generally making a nuisance of himself as the front door opened.

"Leroy!" Jackson called and the others turned to greet him.

"JACKSON!" Abby being Abby, but also mindful of the older man's health lowered the pressure of her patented bear hug but put all her love into it anyway.

Ziva was pulled into the hug by the older man and then Jackson turned. "So Leroy where's that grandson of mine?" he asked.

Tony walked through from the kitchen carrying a beer. "Tony!" Jackson said happily and pulled him into a hug.

"I…Er…hello Jackson?" Tony said surprised at the older man's greeting.

"I have to pop out for a while." Gibbs said and smiled as his father hugged his son.

Jackson held him at arm's length. "Jackson….Jackson? I'm sorry, I figured my grandson wouldn't mind calling me Grandpa?" he said smiling.

Tony smile lit up the room, Abby gasped and so did Ziva having never seen Tony this truly happy.

"Happy father's day Grandpa!" he smiled.

Family might not be blood, but this was his family.


End file.
